Pistons tie 76ers for longest overall losing streak at 28 games - ESPN

BOSTON — When the Detroit Pistons entered the visiting locker room at halftime of Thursday night's game against the Boston Celtics, it looked like they had a chance to not only shock the world but avoid landing in a dubious place in the history books in the process.

Detroit, which entered the game as a 16.5-point underdog after losing 27 consecutive games, found itself leading Boston — the NBA's best team with a perfect 14-0 record at TD Garden — by 19 points.

Then the second half began. And as quickly as Detroit had taken control of the game, Boston surged right back into it. By the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had erased that 19-point halftime deficit. And despite the Pistons fighting back valiantly to force overtime, ultimately it was Boston that would claim a 128-122 victory after the five-minute extra session.

With the defeat, the Pistons tied the 76ers for the longest overall losing streak, which Philadelphia set across the end of the 2014-15 season and beginning of the 2015-16 campaign with 28 consecutive losses. The Pistons can set a new record for futility on Saturday, when they face the Toronto Raptors back home in Detroit.

«I just told them that it takes a lot of character and integrity to do what they're doing,» said Pistons coach Monty Williams. «I've been in the league for a while, and I've seen teams give into circumstances that are less than what we're dealing with. That was admirable; obviously, we had a tough third quarter, and the ability to fight back and have it even in the fourth was tremendous.

»I hurt for them; we feel like we're just getting so close to not just winning one game but winning a lot of games if we play that way."

For much of Thursday night's contest, it looked like the